


Bonus

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: bar au [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Gen, M/M, bar au, fitz and ward own a bar, skye is a regular, thomas makes another cameo bc that's the only consistent thing here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-06 22:29:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10345911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: It doesn't hurt to have a loyal customer or two when the after work rush hits, but a new customer to chat with isn't too bad, either.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: "Now, that's a bonus." + FitzSkye

          Leo had already turned on the neon sign in the window, gotten the alcohol on the counter organized, and let Thomas in through the back door so that he could get to the kitchen, and if it weren't for the fact that they were almost always completely dead the first hour of most Wednesday nights, he would be worried about the fact that the only drink he'd poured was his own. The quiet air in the bar just meant that he could take some time to make sure everything was _really_  ready for when their patrons started to file in. It meant he could wipe down the counter until it _shined_ , and then he could even spill some cheese onto it and clean it again if the usual trend of their head cook making nachos when he was bored carried through yet another slow afternoon.

          When the Scotsman was settled with some of his weight against the counter and a book in his hand, he was more surprised to hear the bell over the door than anything else. He'd been mentally prepared to stay wrapped up in a fictional world for at least another fifteen minutes without interruption, but the sudden arrival of their first customer of the night meant that magic rocks and ancient Scotland would have to wait, potentially until after last call.

          That was fine with him, really - it meant he actually had something to do besides wait around, and maybe it would even be easy to get through the first few hours of the shift without his boyfriend right there by his side. Besides, customers meant that they could continue to pay the rent they needed to pay for the part of the building they used and lived in, and customers during their usually slow hours could only be a good sign.

          The woman who had wandered in and taken a seat directly in front of him was pretty, he could acknowledge that no matter how serious his relationship was, but not pretty enough that he would ever reconsider the relationship he was perfectly happy in. She'd only been there for thirty seconds, and she already seemed way too happy and excitable for his taste, anyway, but that didn't mean he couldn't put on his professional face and serve her like he would any other customer, even if she was bouncing - and, it seemed, chattering before he had even marked his spot and set his book down.

          "I'll take a cold one, barkeep. And keep them coming, if at all possible. This is a night for _celebration._ You know, I've been in this city for two years, and I think I finally have a job I'll _enjoy_. Say _hello_  to Shield Technologies' newest social media correspondent." She was still speaking even after Leo grabbed one of the bottles from the mini fridge under the surface of the bar and set it down in front of her. "Yeah, it's an entry level position, but imagine how cool my job could be in a year, you know? I could be programming new anti-virus software, or Microsoft level word processing programs, or the next Google. Okay, well, maybe not google, but..." She stopped long enough to take a drink from the open bottle and shook her head before jumping back into her speech with a plain grin. "For how rainy this place is, I think it could feel like home. I'm Skye, by the way."

          He was too startled by the suddenly outstretched hand to come up with a response right away, and if it weren't for the fact that he was fully in a state of work autopilot, he might not have been able to come up with anything to say at all. Slowly, he was able to reach out and shake her hand, taking a breath while giving a careful nod of his head. "I'm Leo. Congratulations on that job."

          Based on the expression he could see on her face only seconds after he finished speaking, saying more than just the simple greeting was a very polite mistake. " _Ooh,_ an accent. I'm not the only out of towner, then. Isn't it a little cliche, though, being around so much alcohol all the time? I mean, you could be getting a degree or something and making _big bucks._ I hear the pacific northwest can always use more brilliant environmentalists."

          It took a few moments for him to pick up on what she was saying, and Leo opened his mouth to speak only to close it again a moment later. Living in America for over a decade, he'd almost started to think he was done having to explain to people that he wasn't just some Brit trying to make his way in a different rainy place, and he wasn't English, like a lot of people liked to assume just because he had an accent they considered _fancy._ It seemed, though, as if this new patron - Skye, she'd said her name was - was assuming he was Irish. He didn't really see that as an upgrade.

          Using the extended pause to slide his glass over in front of him, he poured himself his second drink of the afternoon before speaking with a small shake of his head. "I'm _Scottish._ The only cliches I have to avoid are golf and haggis. As for school, I have a doctorate in mechanical engineering that I got when I was eighteen years old. Opening a bar just seemed like a better idea than trying to find a job in my field when I don't have any real experience - and it's much more fun."

          She shot him a wider grin while taking a longer drink and wiggling a bit on her stool. Maybe she was a bit excitable and chatty, but he knew he was already starting to warm up to her. "You have it all figured out, then, don't you? You have your business and something to fall back on if it ends up not working out. That seems like the best life plan if you ask me. I wish I was that smart."

          "It wasn't a plan; I like working here. I live upstairs, so it's not a commute, and the biggest worry I have is whether or not we get our weekly pretzel shipment on time for the Friday night and weekend rushes. If we get those and remember to restock our good scotch, there's really no problems." After taking a slow swig of his drink, the Scot frowned and turned around to push open the swinging door that led to the kitchen to shout into the bigger room with a small frown. "Hey, Tommy, what gives? You usually have some chips out here for me by now." With a glance back toward the woman at the counter, he called out again. "Make it two plates, if you're not too busy - which you _shouldn't be._ "

          "Eat pretzels like a normal person, 'Poldo!"

          The voice that called back to Leo made him frown, and he shook his head before letting the door swing closed again and turning back to the counter. "Consider the plate of nachos that may or may not arrive within a few minutes on the house - we don't exactly have much to do otherwise if we're being honest. It's our slowest time of the week."

          Skye nodded while drinking from her bottle again, very clearly trying to hide a smile behind the glass at her lips. Maybe the little group of employees they had was a bit odd, but that's because they were all too used to each other after being close for as long as they were. They could tease each other and poke fun and they had enough regular customers that hardly batted an eye, but newcomers like the woman in front of him might not quite understand the relationship. " _'Poldo_ , huh? Is that something just anyone is allowed to call you or only your employees?"

          With a short laugh, he shook his head and knelt down to get another beer from the fridge when he noticed her supply getting low. "Tommy's practically my brother, and he's the only person who ever calls me that. Most people just call me Leo, or, if my family's in town, I get the occasional _Leopold_ from my parents." He didn't normally open up to random customers, but he was bored out of his mind, and there wasn't much else to do to pass the time when there wouldn't be more than one or two other patrons for at least an hour - unless her early arrival was a sign of just how busy they would be that night, and then he'd have to call to make sure Grant would be on time and actually do some bartending instead of his usual Wednesday tradition of working on inventory to figure out what they needed more of before the weekend. "And don't say a word, I know my name is pretentious, I'm working on having it legally changed."

          "Oh, really? But then what bartender in town will I make fun of while I get a drink after work every day? I want to poke fun and call you Poldo while you give me alcohol and free nachos."

          Leo felt his smile grow while he shook his head, perfectly happy to continue their small talk for a few hours while business was still slow.

-

          By the time Grant ducked in through the kitchen, the bar was practically full of customers, and Leo immediately tried to pull him into the small space behind the counter so that he wouldn't be dealing with so many drink orders on his own. It was the busiest weeknight they'd ever had, and if business kept up like this, he might actually reconsider his boyfriend's suggestion to hire another bartender for a time other than the weekends, if only so that they wouldn't completely lose their minds.

          Skye was still seated in the same spot at the counter, on her fourth beer and her second plate of nachos while pausing their chatting long enough to let the Scotsman serve all of the other customers that came through the door and ordered drinks and food. Regardless of whether or not they were still talking as much as they had been when she first arrived, she was close enough to notice when the tall American leaned in to kiss Leo's cheek before stepping around him to go over to the other end of the counter and grab a few bottles so that he could start pouring drinks.

          With wide eyes, she leaned closer to the counter after finishing the chip in her mouth, making sure she had the Scot's full attention before speaking. "I'm sorry, but I really need to know if he's just another brother figure or if that was more than just a platonic cheek kiss because _damn_."

          Letting out a laugh, he swapped out her empty beer bottle with another full one and marked the addition on her tab with a shake of his head. "Sorry to break it to you, but he's not on the market. I called dibs a while back."

          She groaned and looked between the two of them with a disappointed frown before reaching out to take a drink from the fresh bottle in front of her. "You have a doctorate and a business, you don't have to do anything else to make me jealous. But adding a _hot guy_ to that equation? Now, that's just a bonus."


End file.
